MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Friday that a Filipino mother, her son and daughter were among the 298 people on board the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine on Thursday night.
At a televised press briefing, DFA Spokesperson Charles Jose said they have the names of the three Filipinos, but these could not yet be released pending notification of the victims' next of kin.
Jose said the names were based on the flight manifest and that they received the information earlier today from the Malaysia Airlines.
"It appears that they are a family of three, the mother and her two offspring," Jose said.
He revealed that the mother is a middle-aged woman while her children are young adults.
It also appears that the Filipinos are based in the Netherlands, Jose added, as shown by their passport records.
"The address that they gave in their passport application [is] Netherlands," he said.
Jose said the DFA will allow the Malaysia Airlines to notify the victims' families, as the air carrier has requested.
"If they are not able to do so and they request us, then we will assist them in notifying [the victims'] next of kin," Jose said.
The DFA official assured that the government will be updated on the status of the various investigations of the plane crash.
He said the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur is closely coordinating with the main office of the Malaysia Airline.
"Our embassy in Kuala Lumpur and in the Hague are both prepared to extend all the necessary assistance to the families of the three victims," Jose said.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The plane was carrying 298 people—comprising 283 passengers, including three infants, and 15 crew members.
Malacañang has extended its condolences to the families of the three Filipino fatalities and of the other passengers.
"The Philippines joins the entire global community in expressing its deepest sympathies," Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.
"The Government is one with the international community in calling for a thorough and swift inquiry on this incident," the Palace official added. -Louis Bacani